VICTORY STELE OF NARAM-SIN

VICTORY STELE
OF NARAM-SIN
From Susa, Iran
THE BARE MINIMUM
Stele- A carved stone slab erected to commemorate a
historical event.
Created around 2554 - 2218 BCE
Carved out of pink sandstone
Stands 6’7” tall
Constructed during the reign of the kings of Akkad
Shows Naram-Sin’s conquest of the Lullubi, a people
of the Iranian mountains to the east.
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
Naram-Sin leads his victorious
army up the slopes of a wooden
mountain while trampling
enemies.
He’s wearing a horn helmet
signifying divinity
3 favorable stars (only 2 are visible
due to damage) shine over his
triumph of the conquered people
WHAT’S OLD
The artist portrayed the king and his soldiers in
composite views (all limbs are visible)
Troops march in orderly files suggesting the
discipline and organization of the kings forces
The enemy, as often shown, is depicted in disarray
and very few numbers
Naram-Sin scales the “ladder to heavens,” the same
idea behind Ziggurats
WHAT’S NEW
The first time a king appears as a
god in the mesopotamian art
(divine horned helmet)
Created a landscape setting for
the story and placed figures on
successive tiers.
First time an artist abandoned
the “register” technique for
telling a story through artwork
El FIN
We would like to thank:
-stapes2000
-the resources (book, internet)